In today’s fast-moving society, we get a multitude of options available. However, choices once considered beneficial, are now being largely debated. In the face of rising prevalence of depression and being identified as the ‘disease of modernity’, this burden of increasing choices on the modern society needs to be re-evaluated. In this paper, we aim to elucidate the rising rate of depression in today’s society with regard to the increasing number of choices, the decision-making process, and the consequent attribution of the decision-making situations. We also attempt to look at the role of culture, acknowledging its importance in depression and perception of choices. Lastly, a theoretical perspective is being outlined about how the increasing amount of choices being provided in today’s society can give rise to a pessimistic attribution style among decision-makers. Decision-makers therein might be more likely to face post-decisional regret and self-blame, ultimately developing risk for depression. The way in which choices are perceived in a particular culture could either facilitate or act as a buffer to depression. Thus, the essential role that culture might play in moderating this relationship is also discussed.

在当今快速发展的社会中，我们有多种选择。然而，曾经被认为是有益的选择，现在正在被广泛讨论。面对抑郁症日益流行并被认定为“现代性病”，现代社会日益增加的选择负担需要重新评估。在本文中，我们旨在阐明当今社会抑郁症发病率的上升与选择数量的增加、决策过程以及随之而来的决策情境的归因有关。我们还试图研究文化的作用，承认它在抑郁和选择感知中的重要性。最后，正在概述一个理论观点，即当今社会提供的选择越来越多，如何在决策者中引起悲观的归因风格。其中的决策者可能更有可能面临决策后的后悔和自责，最终发展为抑郁症的风险。在特定文化中感知选择的方式可以促进或充当抑郁症的缓冲剂。因此，还讨论了文化在调节这种关系中可能发挥的重要作用。